That works out to $9.75 million overall. Peverley’s going to enjoy almost a $2 million per year bump in average annual salary, although the exact load-out of the contract isn’t clear at this time.

The former Atlanta Thrashers forward hasn’t put together jaw-dropping stats in his career, but he’s been a fantastic fit since being traded to Boston for Blake Wheeler. The 29 year old forward is versatile enough to play on just about any line and can switch between winger and center with ease.

This signing follows a pattern for GM Peter Chiarelli: it seems like he doesn’t want to wait to re-sign players in contract years, which might stem from trading Phil Kessel after fruitless negotiations. Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron barely got into their final years before Chiarelli signed them up; unfortunately for the Bruins’ checkbooks, the same thing also happened with Marc Savard. Still, it’s a proactive practice and the Bruins probably made the right move by signing Peverley before he puts together what could be an expensive career year.